Despite its sanctuary-like title, there’s ample sense of conflict running through the debut extended play from American singer-songwriter Parson James.

The South Carolina native’s fairly conflicted upbringing could be held responsible for the discordant undercurrent. After all, here’s someone whose storied past stems from growing up in a highly religious community as a biracial gay man.

Those disparate identities are gloriously reflected on the sexuality anthem Sinner Like You. “It felt cold when they heard the news, guess I better give my Sunday shoes,” the 21-year old concedes on the foot-thumping number.

That out-of-the-closet sentiment coats the deceptively ebullient opening title track as well. On Temple, the southern soul-pop crooner delivers a bluesy number with an uplifting chorus that sounds right at home in and out of church – assuming it’s one that adopts more liberal views.

James has an ear for compounding liberating lyrics and gospel-tinged soulful rhythms. It’s a pairing that sounds suspiciously cloying on paper. However, the man’s earnest delivery of gut-wrenching words – coupled with understated, yet moving melodies – help form numbers that inspire instead of instigate.

That flair culminates in Stole The Show, a haunting number that’s perhaps best known by many in Kygo’s dancefloor-friendly incarnation. Stripped of the Norwegian DJ’s glossy synths and tropical house touches, the mid-tempo song takes on a more emotionally cathartic turn.

Chances are listeners’ opinions of this brilliant five-track offering would border on two extremes. Some would find James’ candid observations refreshing. Others might discover that less-than-rosy depictions of a social institution – that comforts and condemns – make for a rather disconcerting listen.

Parson James

Salt-N-Pepa pioneered a role for women in hip-hop with a string of sultry dance-floor hits in the 1980s and 1990s.

A couple decades on, the three-member group is enjoying renewed success on the nostalgia circuit – and still sees a double standard for women.

The trio opened an extensive tour in the US aimed at fans eager to relive the 1990s. Although the group plays mostly second-tier markets, promoters hope its total ticket haul rivals those of major contemporary acts.

Led by rappers Cheryl James (Salt), and Sandra Denton (Pepa), with DJ Spinderella on the turntable, Salt-N-Pepa broke into the US mainstream at a time when much of white America looked at hip-hop with suspicion, seeing it as a passing fad rooted in street culture.

The New York-bred musicians not only helped break hip-hop’s gender barrier but offered a subtle sense of female empowerment, rapping openly and without vulgarity about women’s desires on tracks such as Let’s Talk About Sex and Shake Your Thang.

A couple decades on, however, the rappers see little change since their heyday in music or society, saying women still face too much judgment for their sexuality.

“You still can only have a total of three partners in your life and not be called a ‘ho’,” Denton told AFP with a hearty laugh.

“It’s a double standard in corporate America,” James said of the music business, while stressing that women elsewhere in the world faced even more daunting challenges, such as securing rights to divorce and child custody.

“It goes so much deeper – the right not to be abused, emotionally or physically, or to be thrown out of your house,” she said. “It’s a worldly issue and a continuous fight.”

Female hip-hop pioneers found their niches by being “unapologetically bold”, James said.

“Latifah was the queen, Lauryn Hill was the consciousness, Salt-N-Pepa was fun, fashion and feminity,” she said. “Now it’s a bit empty.”

Still, James praised leading female rapper Nicki Minaj – who released her own, more provocative celebration of female sensuality on Anaconda in 2014 – as well as Australia’s often-maligned Iggy Azalea.

“Shoutout to Nicki and Iggy – they’re doing their thing – but there are definitely more voices out there that aren’t being heard,” she said.

Salt-N-Pepa – whose other hits included Push It, Shoop and, with En Vogue, Whatta Man – have not released a studio album since 1997, although the rappers said they are working on new material.

The reunited group found a new audience with a 2007-2008 reality show on the TV channel VH1.

In a sign that hip-hop has quickly emerged from its roots in African American culture, Salt-N-Pepa will now perform mostly to white audiences, said Jeff Allen, co-owner of Universal Attractions Agency, which is presenting the tour.

The shows began in the overwhelmingly white state of West Virginia, and Allen said received strong expressions of interest in other unexpected destinations such as Norfolk in Nebraska (population 24,500).

Also scheduled to hit major arenas, the tour is expected to reach a total of 90 to 100 cities around North America – no small feat – he said.

Vocalists Salt-N-Pepa pose with their Grammys for Best Rap Performance by a Group at the 37th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles in 1995. Photo: AFP

Promoters are marketing the shows with unabashed nostalgia, calling them the “I Love The ’90s” tour and distributing a poster that looks straight from the software of an early Mac.

Other rap stars from the era will join Salt-N-Pepa on some dates.

They include Tone-Loc – best known for Wild Thing and Funky Cold Medina – and Vanilla Ice, whose Ice Ice Baby was the first rap track to hit number one on the mainstream US chart but who later endured personal turmoil amid mockery of the song.

Response to the tour reflects the current stage in the lives of America’s Gen X-ers, many of whom grew up on hip-hop’s first mainstream hits and are now living with families and seeking less new music.

Actor Kellan Lutz’s buff bod certainly lends itself well to the slew of muscle-bound movie roles he’s portrayed over the years.

It all began with his breakout role on the Twilight film series in 2008 as the strongest of the Cullens, Emmett. Lutz’s muscular physique definitely fit the bill in portraying a vampire who made lifting logs and fighting off baddies look as easy as swatting flies.

The 31-year-old Lutz, who was born in North Dakota in the US, says being fit comes naturally for him.

“From a young age, I’ve always just lived an active life so I think my body just grew accustomed to it,” he says in a phone interview from Los Angeles.

“Also, I have some good genetics thanks to my family, so it’s easy for me to maintain because I live a healthy lifestyle. I eat pretty healthy, I try to do some sort of activity every now and then.”

With good genes and hard work, Lutz later proved he had the body of a Greek God, landing the role of Poseidon in 2011’s Immortals.

And of course, in 2014, Lutz portrayed perhaps the most quintessential strongman of all time, Hercules, in The Legend Of Hercules, besides playing a former US marine alongside veteran action hero stars Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Expendables 3 in the same year.

Despite having built a steady career playing these brawny and some even, iconic characters, Lutz says he wouldn’t mind changing things up, forgoing his ripped physique to play a role, especially if the right one comes along.

“What draws me to roles is not that I get to take my shirt off or that I get to be fit. It’s the material itself. So if I’m passionate about the character, the story and the character development, I’m drawn to it.

“It just so happened that I’m drawn to playing the hero sort of role, but I would love to do a movie like The Machinist that Christian Bale did, and he had to lose all that weight. And you’ve got Matthew McConaughey in Dallas Buyers Club which was brilliant. So I definitely wouldn’t mind doing it.”

Bale lost 28kg and McConaughey lost 21kg to play a factory worker suffering from insomnia and an AIDS patient respectively.

However, Lutz stresses he wouldn’t compromise on his health in the process: “I won’t do a movie that would harm my health per se … I care about my health and there’s a way of losing the weight in the right way.

“If I had one month to lose 50lbs (23kg), there’s no way I can do it – that would kill my body. If I had enough time, sure. As long as everything is done in a healthy way, I’d be up to the challenge.”

Prior to Lutz’s success on the big screen, the actor got his start playing small roles on TV shows such as The Bold And The Beautiful, CSI: NY, 90210 and a recurring role on The Comeback.

And since many have dubbed the era we’re living now as the golden age of TV, does Lutz see himself back on the small screen?

“For me, it’s all about the work, it doesn’t matter if it’s movies, TV or animation as long as it speaks to me and I’m passionate about it. But my passion right now is travelling around the world and playing different characters and for me, it has to be a very interesting piece,” he shares.

“But it doesn’t interest me to play the same character for 10 years of my life.”

Let the games begin

One of Lutz’s recent projects, Bullseye, does see him on TV actually, though not as an actor.

Bullseye is an eight-episode reality game show where four men and four women battle it out in three extreme challenges that all have one thing in common: Hitting a bullseye. The winner walks away with US$50,000 (RM201,000).

For instance, in the first episode, contestants must hang from a helicopter and wait for the right moment to drop a “bullseye bomb”, hoping it will land right smack on a target marked on the ground. In another challenge, contestants driving an ATV in a dirt track must ram through three bullseyes.

“I love stunts. That’s why I wanted to be part of this show,” Lutz says. “I thought that when they came to me, they wanted me to be a contestant on it. I was really excited about it and then they said ‘No, we’d like to see if you wanted to host it with Godfrey, who is just a comedic genius. That was really fun.’”

Still, Lutz, who shares hosting duties with comedian and actor Godfrey on the series, did get a chance to take part in one of the challenges, Human Slingshot. Contestants are launched into the air by a giant slingshot and they must drop the bullseye bomb on a target on the ground.

While on the Human Slingshot, Lutz sustained an injury when the carabiner (a metal component of a harness) hit the back of his head. The scalp wound required five staples.

“It was a freak accident. I’m fine, I’m good, still got my brain up in there. I would still do it again. They aren’t scary. We have the best stunt teams, the best coordinators and safety teams there so no one else would have got hurt at all. It just so happened that I got hurt.”

Comedian Godfrey and actor Lutz take the contestants through the extreme challenges each week on Bullseye.

Lutz also shares about what it feels like hosting a TV show for the first time: “I’ve worked with a lot of charities where I host different galas and different events here and there. So for this one, doing a TV show was way easier than those, because those are live.”

He adds: “It’s really different from my action acting because I’m playing a character. But on this show, I got to be me. I got to be a contestant, I got to be just blown away by seeing the stunts take place live.”

As for revisiting the film that started it all for Lutz, Twihards would be happy to know that the actor would be up for starring in a Twilight reboot.

“If they ever did a reboot, which they easily could, say five years from now, they just want to rebuild it all again, sure,” he says. “Even if I couldn’t play Emmett, maybe I could play (the Cullen patriarch) Dr Carlisle.”

“I’d like to thank everyone who voted for me,” she said at an event in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, where the top five nominees in each of APO2016’s 17 categories were announced.

The 20-year-old beauty from Kedah got nods in the Best Actress and Most Elegant Woman category. Janna, who has starred in TV3’s Syurga Nur and Kau Aku Kita, sees the nominations as a way to spur her on to do better in the future.

“If I don’t do a good job in the next drama that I’m in, people might ask, ‘Did I deserve the award or nomination?’ It’s a challenge. I’m nervous. Being nominated among the top five means I have a bigger responsibility,” she shares.

The top five names were chosen from a pool of early nominees with the highest amount of votes during APO’s Phase 1 voting period.

APO2016 is the first “people’s choice awards” by Star Media Group, jointly organised by the group’s Bahasa Malaysia-language portal mStar Online and radio station Suria FM.

Nominees like singers Hazama, Sufi and Hafiz Suip posing along with other popular personalities like blogger Budiey and Suria FM presenter DJ Lin.

mStar Online executive editor Rozaid Abdul Rahman was proud to share that the Phase 1 voting period received 120,000 votes. Now that Phase 2 has begun – where fans can cast votes for their favourite celebrities from the top five nominees – he hopes to see more support.

“We’re really hoping to double the number of votes. This is where the real competition starts. We also hope to see our nominees campaign hard to prove the strength of their online presence,” Rozaid said.

He added that since APO2016 was announced a month ago, the mStar Facebook fan page has received an additional 6,000 likes.

Winners from each category are set to walk away with a trophy, RM5,000 worth of jewellery from Rafflesia, items from Ice Watch and main sponsor Dnars as well as vouchers for hotel stays from Dorsett Putrajaya.

The grand prize winner or APO2016 Ultimate Celebrity (the personality with the most votes across all 17 categories) will go home with a RM20,000 necklace from Rafflesia.

Check out the full list at of nominees at apo.mstar.com.my. Fans can vote for their favourite celebrities once a day until April 27.

Some improvements have been made to the Compulsory Screening Scheme (Skim Wajib Tayang) by National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (Finas). The scheme, which aims to help local filmmakers, enforces cinema operators to showcase local (or joint-venture) films in the cinema halls for a period of time.

“I feel this scheme still has its importance to the Malaysia film industry,” said Zahrin Aris, Finas Skim Wajib Tayang’s president during a press conference held at the Content Malaysia Pitching Centre in Kuala Lumpur recently.

At the event, he also quelled the rumour of the abolition of the scheme which caused a bit of an uproar among filmmakers.

He said, one reason for the improvement is to increase the quality of the films made in Malaysia and so that the scheme is not abused by any party.

Under the previous scheme, a local film has to be screened for 14 days in the biggest hall of a given cineplex. The improved version states that if the local film does not fill up 15% of the hall capacity within three days, Finas encourages the operators to move it to a smaller hall.

“With the move to a smaller hall, the film does not have to carry the huge burden of filling a large number of audience and can instead continue to be screened in the cinema,” Zahrin noted.

Datuk Yusof Haslam, president of Malaysia Film Producers Association (PFM) – who was present at the press conference – said this makes more sense. “In a large hall, 15% seems like an unachievable target sometimes. Whereas in a 100-seater hall, we just need 15 people to watch it and the cinema operators can continue to show the film for the remaining period,” he said.

On Finas official website too, it states another condition for the move to a smaller hall: “… the number of viewers in the initial hall are less than 30% of its total seating capacity on the first four consecutive days of its screening.”

Another welcome change to the scheme is, a film has to be shown at least five times a day compared to previous four times a day.

Besides the improvements, Finas has also added a new rule to the scheme – one that Finas hopes will encourage filmmakers to make quality films for the benefit of the audience and the film industry.

Zahrin explained: “Come July this year, the films that we deem as ‘poor’ will be vetted by a second panel comprising journalists, film critics, lecturers, film students, etc. This is to ensure a film is truly worthy to be screened at the cinema for public consumption and we are not rejecting a film based on one party’s opinion. If the film does not pass both levels, it will not fall under the Compulsory Screening Scheme.”

At this point, Zahrin said, the producer of the said film has to deal directly with the exhibitor if they want the film to be screened at the cinema.

According to Datuk Kamil Othman, director general of Finas, the improvements and addition to the scheme is a way to boost the quality of local films. His long-term plan for Malaysia is to get local films to travel to the international market successfully.

Yusof added: “I have found that cinema operators are very encouraging of this Compulsory Screening Scheme as they do want the local films to make money. The low-quality films aren’t that many, but filmmakers need to realise that there has to be a standard for the consumption of paying public.

“We want to make sure that the future producers and filmmakers are better than us, and with this new ruling the standard can be made higher.”

The last time the once-engaged couple Erra Fazira and Awie were on the big screen together was 20 years ago in the film Tragedi Oktober.

The first time they worked together was in the 1994 film Sembilu which also spawned a sequel a year later. Around the same period too, the two stars got engaged before breaking it off in 1998.

Now they can be seen together again in the film Warna Cinta Impian.

At a press conference to promote the film, it’s obvious 42-year-old Erra and 47-year-old Awie have put their past behind to become friends and colleagues.

While Erra and Awie play secondary roles to the younger lead cast – Erwin Shah and Shiqin Kamal – in this film, they prove to be a valuable addition to the story. As though art imitates life, the characters they play also have a romantic past that ended in a tragedy. Ahem.

Awie and Erra may play the secondary roles in Warna Cinta Impian, but they are the film’s big stars. Photo: The Star/Shaari Chemat

First-time director N.S. Krishna said he couldn’t see anyone else in the roles of the elder siblings to the main couple other than Erra and Awie. Absolutely elated with their agreement to star in the film together, Krishna made sure the shoot was set around Awie and Erra’s available schedules.

Awie acknowledged this fact: “We kept troubling everyone with our busy schedules. I apologise for that and am truly grateful for everyone accommodating to us.”

However for 27-year-old Erwin, it was a dream come true to shoot with these veteran actors. “They are legends – we have watched them in movies since we were young – but they were very casual and helpful. It made the working environment very comfortable and relaxed,” said Erwin who is making his film debut with Warna Cinta Impian.

Meanwhile Erra admitted that she was drawn to the role because it brings a nostalgic feel to the Sembilu days. “For the sake of nostalgia, why not? Director Krishna and producer Ravindran (Govindasamy) were also very open to our suggestions to what our characters would be like and where our characters would be. So I felt no reason not to say yes to the film,” the actress explained.

Despite wanting the Sembilu connection, it was equally crucial to Awie and Erra to make sure the characters in the new film stand apart too. For one, Erra’s character is not named Wati (like in Sembilu).

Awie added: “Although our characters no longer has a relationship when they meet again in the film, I felt it was important that the presence of their past relationship registers with the audience.”

The RM2.7mil film starts off with the marriage of Daniel (Erwin) and Diana (Shiqin), arranged by Diana’s brother Awie who believe they are well-matched.

Sensing neither is keen on the other, Awie then plans for the young couple to spend some time together in Jaipur, India. Unknown to Awie, both Daniel and Diana still haven’t gotten over their respective former lovers. When things turn for the worse, Erra and Awie try to counsel the couple. But the bumps on the road keep getting worse.

While it remains to be seen if the young couple will get a happy ending in Warna Cinta Impian, the film does set the stage for another story … one that involves Erra and Awie.

Erra, who is a two-time Best Actress winner at the Malaysia Film Festival, teased: “If this film does well, there is a future plan (for another film involving Awie and my character).”

For over two decades, the Deadman, The Undertaker, has been a staple of World Wrestling Entertainment’s (WWE) biggest annual event, WrestleMania.

He racked up an impressive 21-match winning streak and reigned undefeated until Brock Lesnar shockingly ended The Streak at WMXXX in 2014.

Taker bounced back to beat the Eater of Souls, Bray Wyatt, last year. In all, he has defeated 18 different wrestlers (having bested Triple H three times, and Shawn Michaels and Kane twice each) at WrestleMania.

This year, the stakes go beyond rebuilding The Streak. At WrestleMania 32, which will be broadcast live on the WWE Network on April 4, he’s up against the resilient, risk-taking Shane McMahon, son of WWE chairman Vince McMahon, in what can pretty much be described as The Undertaker’s element: a Hell in a Cell match.

The unforgiving cell has seen many foes crushed and broken. But Shane is fighting for more than bragging rights or a title: if he wins, Vince has promised him control of Raw, WWE’s flagship show.

And if he loses, well, he has to turn over some “incriminating” evidence he has on his dad, and be disowned.

But there’s more: on the March 21 Raw, Vince warned that if Taker fails to put his wayward son down for the count, this WrestleMania will be the Deadman’s last!

With so much at stake, expect both men to earn chants of “You’ve still got it!” during their history-making match. Will a man become a legend? Will a legend become immortal?

It is reigning World Heavyweight Champ Triple H against former champion Roman Reigns in the other long-awaited clash.

Champ or chump: The “other” main event set for the night (well, morning over here) is the World Heavyweight Championship showdown between reigning champ Triple H and the challenger (and former cham-peen), Roman Reigns. The Roman Era came to a crashing end (though without any toga parties, orgies and fiddling) at January’s Royal Rumble when Reigns was eliminated and Triple H lifted the title. Since then, both men have taken turns to beat the stuffing out of each other. But after the dust has settled at WrestleMania, who will be giving thanks, and who will be … the turkey? OK, so that line’s a little out of season, but so is this rivalry, in the Dwaynester’s ’umble hopinion.

Street (un)wise: After a very angry finish to his Triple Threat showdown at WWE Fastlane back in February against Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns, former Shield member Dean Ambrose incurred the wrath of The Beast. He’s been busted up, down, sideways and inside out at the hands of Brock, and is now going up against his nemesis of the moment in a No Holds Barred Street Fight (the “other other” main event). Now, you might think someone left the doors of the Ambrose Asylum wide open, but don’t dismiss Dean’s chances just yet. With hardcore legends on his side (you never know who might show up at WrestleMania) and the Wyatt Family not quite done with Brock, who knows?

Diva divide: The ladies who came over to the main roster from NXT have given the Divas division that extra oomph with their high-impact moves. Three outstanding competitors will collide in the championship match. It’ll be reigning queen Charlotte versus her one-time BFF Becky Lynch the Irish Lass Kicker versus The Boss, Sasha Banks. Becky and Sasha have fought twice to determine the No. 1 contender, but both matches ended with no clear winner. As a result, Charlotte has to face them both in a Triple Threat match. Count on Charlotte’s dad Ric Flair, the Dirtiest Player in the Game, to be a factor at ringside. Trivia: Sasha Banks is rapper Snoop Dogg’s first cousin.

Like father, like daughter: When you’re the offspring of Ric Flair, the Dirtiest Player in the Game, can Divas Champion Charlotte be blamed for following in Daddy’s rulebreaking footsteps?

Magnificent seven: Say, the Intercontinental Title match has as many competitors as there are continents (by the old school count). Kevin Owens has to defend his hard-earned belt against Dolph Ziggler, The Miz, Sin Cara, Sami Zayn, Zack Ryder and Stardust. And it’s a ladder match! Fight Owens Fight … er, and Climb Owens Climb!

Fed to the machine: The Big Guy, Ryback, rediscovered his mean streak recently and US Champion Kalisto will have to pull out every move in his arsenal to hold on to his title belt. Ryback will probably soak up everything the Lucha Dragon can throw at him like the Absorbing Man (come to think of it, he sorta resembles the Avengers baddy). And considering his (relatively) tiny opponent, Ryback’s battle cry of “Feed me more!” seems so appropriate.

FBFFs: First, there was just Y2J, Chris Jericho. Then like a butt-whupped bully, he opened his heart to the chap who did the whupping, the Phenomenal AJ Styles, and so “Y2AJ” was born. But the tag team didn’t last, not with an ego still as bruised as Y2J’s in the mix. So the two former BFFs will clash … again. Say, didn’t AJ already settle the question of who’s the better man?

Eat your Booty-os: The League of Nations is set to go all cereal killer on the New Day when they clash in a match for the latter team’s Tag Team Championship. The New Day lads really should train hard, eat their Booty-os … and pray. Not all the positivity in the world could save them from a total beatdown a couple of weeks ago on Raw, and we might see a repeat of that in this four-on-three match.

Well, that’s how the WrestleMania 32 card stands for the moment. No doubt, WWE has some aces it’s still keeping close to its chest for the big show (no, the other one). Will the absence of John Cena, Randy Orton, Seth Rollins and the now-retired Daniel Bryan put a dent in this year’s extravaganza?

We have this nagging feeling that WWE TV won’t be quite the same after WrestleMania 32. Got those Shane-O Mac signs ready?

WrestleMania 32 airs on April 4 with a live telecast at 7am and repeats throughout the day on the WWE Network (Astro Ch 820/HD Ch 840). Subscription details via Astro Ch 200.

Would you like to see more wrestling news and views (especially from our resident expert, Dwayne A. Rules) on a regular basis? Drop us a comment below; give us an “Oh hell yeah” if you do. And if you don’t, well … it doesn’t matter if you don’t!

The Americans, is about many things: deception, divided loyalties, US-Soviet relations in the 1980s, and the maybe slightly less volatile relations between married spies Philip (Matthew Rhys) and Elizabeth Jennings (Keri Russell).

But it’s also about wigs.

“Wigs! Beards! Mustaches! Yes!” executive producer Joel Fields said when I raised the hairy issue of how the Jenningses disguise themselves.

Fields, who runs The Americans with creator Joe Weisberg, said he loves spotting a stranger on the set, “getting two paces past them and realising, ‘Wait a second … ‘That’s Matthew,’ (or) ‘That’s Keri.’ It’s a blast.”

For Fields, anyway.

“I think they love the wigs,” he said.

Matthew Rhys in The Americans.

Rhys, like Philip, doesn’t tell his boss everything.

“I hate wearing wigs. They’re desperately uncomfortable,” the actor said a few days later. I don’t know if you know this, but Keri and I often swap wigs. We do. They restyle them. Our hair department is amazing, what they do. However, if I’m wearing one of Keri’s wigs, it’s incredibly tight on my head.”

Julianna Margulies chooses to skip the blowouts and wear a wig that’s lighter in colour and straighter than her own hair to play Alicia Florrick in The Good Wife (a wig, she told David Letterman last year, that cost US$10,000/RM41,400).

Louie Anderson credits a handmade wig with helping him take “ownership” of the mother character on the comedy series Baskets.

And Viola Davis was mesmerising last season in a scene in which her How to Get Away With Murder character, Annalise Keating, removed her wig, as though she were removing armour, in what many saw as an important television moment for black women, whose natural beauty is so often unacknowledged.

Still, Rhys, whose character had a memorable, if less culturally significant dewigging scene of his own, isn’t alone in disliking wigs.

“It’s a bit like wearing a vise for 17 hours” a day, said Gillian Anderson, who wore a wig to reprise the role of Dana Scully in the six-episode revival of The X-Files.

“You get used to it, but you start the first couple of weeks with headaches.”

The scrutiny Clark endured for her appearance before and during the trial was “horrifying,” said Paulson, who wore four wigs while filming the 10-episode series, to reflect the changes Clark underwent.

“In the seventh episode, another hairdo comes. The straight hairdo, the final makeover. It’s like the pasteurisation of Marcia Clark,” Paulson said.

And, yes, the wigs are “terrible,” she said.

“Because, basically, you have all of your own hair wrapped up tight, and then they put a stocking over your head, sort of like a vise. And then they pin it, and they pin the wig to that.

The comicbook-based superhero film Deadpool has become the highest grossing R-rated film of all time, according to Collider.

Deadpool has now brought in US$745.9mil (RM2.98bil) in box office revenue worldwide. It surpassed 2003’s The Matrix Reloaded with the take of the past weekend.

The Matrix Reloaded, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie Anne Moss and Hugo Weaving, held the top spot for more than 10 years, generating US$742mil (RM2.96bil). The second movie in The Matrix trilogy, Reloaded was written and directed by the Wachowski brothers (who are now Lilly and Lana Wachowski).

Deadpool was directed by Tim Miller and stars Ryan Reynolds as the “superhero”. The movie follows the story of a man who undergoes a rogue experiment that leaves him some with awesome super powers.

Banned in China, Deadpool the global blockbuster is expected to get a sequel soon. – AFP Relaxnews

“People always say, ‘I can’t believe that’s your real voice’, and I say, ‘Who could make this up?’” the actress says with a chuckle that is a cross between a dry heave and a snort.

That distinctive set of pipes will always be associated with the character of Fran Fine in The Nanny (1993-1999), the sitcom that turned Drescher into a star. In the comedy, she played a Jewish-American woman who ends up as a nanny to British Broadway producer Maxwell Sheffield’s three children.

Speaking from the telephone from Los Angeles, Drescher, 58, says: “It has universal appeal. People understand it everywhere in the world – blue-collar meets blueblood, or working class meets aristocracy. And then when you add the component of sexual tension between the classes, it’s a lot of fun. And you want to know if she’s going to get her man.”

The show was nominated for multiple awards and won an Emmy in 1995 for achievement in costuming. Several local versions were produced, including in Russia and Indonesia.

Over the years, The Nanny featured a large number of guest stars, including businessman and US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, about whom Drescher shares an anecdote: “I had a moment where I was standing between Mr Sheffield and Donald Trump and I said, ‘All you millionaires are alike’. He gave us a note at the end of the day that said, ‘Can you please change that line, I’m not a millionaire, I’m a billionaire’.”

She might not be in that league, but The Nanny was definitely a profitable venture.

“I’m comfortable financially and I’m able to do some of the things that are important to me,” she says.

In contrast to her ditsy character in The Nanny, she has accomplished much, including writing, directing and producing for television, making her Broadway debut in 2014, penning best-selling books such as Enter Whining (1996) and launching a non-profit organisation on cancer awareness called Cancer Schman-cer.

Fran Drescher is active on her social media pages, and is not afraid of sharing bare-faced photos of herself to her followers. Her famous character Fran Fine probably disapproves, though.

What Drescher does have in common with her most famous role is the way in which she lives life joyfully.

She says earnestly: “I want my organisation to continue to impact the world, I want to become proficient in a second or third language. I love collecting art. I enjoy life.”

She has even managed to remain friends with her ex-husband Peter Marc Jacobson, with whom she created The Nanny. Her current husband, India-born scientist Shiva Ayyadurai, has no problems with that at all.

She lays it out like it is: “First of all, my ex-husband is now gay, so there’s no chance that we’re ever going to reconcile. Also, my husband is a busy, confident man. He invented an electronic version of an interoffice mail system when he was 14 and he has four degrees from MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). He’s happy that I have someone who cares about me and spends time with me when he’s travelling.”

For the moment, she has no interest in a reboot of The Nanny even if her subsequent small-screen ventures, Living With Fran (2005-2006) and Happily Divorced (2011-2013), were nowhere as successful.

“I’m not ready to go back and do a sequel to the classic. I want to continue to do things that excite me and that’s more important than reviving a character I’ve already done.” – The Straits Times, Singapore/Asia News Network/Boon Chan

Joe Jonas, former lead singer of the Jonas Brothers, is back with new band DNCE, whose adult lyrics and funk-pop tunes are a far cry from his teen boy band days in the Disney Channel pop rock trio.

DNCE is made up of Jonas as lead singer, guitarist JinJoo Lee, bassist and keyboardist Cole Whittle and drummer Jack Lawless, all of whom worked with the Jonas Brothers.

In an interview with the band, Jonas said that the sound was new to the foursome. They agreed on a funk, dance and rock sound. DNCE’s debut single, Cake By The Ocean, reached No. 9 in the Billboard Hot 100 chart and the band is now working on an album.

At 15, during the summer between school years at New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois, Joe Trohman hit the road as the bassist for a rock ‘n’ roll band called Arma Angelus. His mother was cool with it. His dad, a cardiologist, was not.

“But my dad trusted my mum a lot,” Trohman says. “She was very into her kids being independent and going off and doing their own thing. She wanted me to be my own person. That was her mantra.”

But looking back, Trohman, who today is lead guitarist for the hit band Fall Out Boy, can see the insanity of that parental decision. “I only have a daughter, and she’s almost two. The idea of letting her go on tour at 15, as someone that’s done it …” he says, in a phone interview.

“I mean, it worked out for me – obviously worked out fine. I don’t know. I love my mum.”

Trohman, 31, talks just a bit about his mother, who died of a brain tumour last year. (“For some reason, she trusted me early on – and she was right to.”) Then he shifts to the reason he was on that tour with Arma Angelus in the first place. He’d become friendly with Pete Wentz, an older New Trier graduate, after meeting at Fireside Bowl and other Chicago-area rock clubs, and Wentz invited him to fill in for a missing bassist.

The duo became the core of Fall Out Boy. They picked up a singer when Trohman visited Borders Books in a Wilmette shopping centre to buy CDs; Trohman’s friend asked him about a particular band; Patrick Stump overheard and answered the question himself.

“I liked that he had all this knowledge about music, and I felt the same way, and we just started talking,” Trohman says. “My friends got pushed aside for the better part of an hour.”

By 2001, the band had added Andrew Hurley, who’d drummed in a well-known metal-and-punk band called Racetraitor, and began to play shows throughout Chicago. They were of a piece with other catchy pop-punk bands forming the foundation of the emo scene, including Promise Ring and Dashboard Confessional, and Wentz turned out to have a nice touch with bittersweet lyrics.

Soon they were the subject of a record-business bidding war, signing a deal with an independent label, Fueled By Ramen, that eventually led to a lucrative advance from much-bigger Island Records for a proper debut.

By the next album, 2005’s From Under The Cork Tree, Fall Out Boy had become known for its upbeat, self-righteous and slightly depressed style. The song titles are small classics: Our Lawyer Made Us Change The Name Of This Song So We Wouldn’t Get Sued, Champagne For My Real Friends, Real Pain For My Sham Friends, Nobody Puts Baby In A Corner.

Thanks to smash hits such as Sugar We’re Going Down and Dance, Dance, the band sold millions of albums. Although Stump was the front man, Wentz emerged as the celebrity, with his multicoloured floppy haircuts and high-profile dating habits –­ he married pop star Ashlee Simpson, but they divorced in 2011.

But after recording 2008’s Folie a Deux, the band took an extended break, retreating into other projects like Stump’s solo album, Trohman’s hard-rock band Damned Things and Wentz’s electronic band Black Cards. The hiatus lasted until Stump and Trohman had a long phone conversation, which begat an eight-hour band meeting in 2012.

“We did air a lot of dirty laundry. I remember there was a lot of conversation about how not to talk over each other,” Trohman recalls of the meeting, moderated by the band’s longtime managers.

“There were a lot of issues. The good thing was everyone was really into working those issues out. It only worked because we did not get together for four years. People got it out of their system – projects and bands, things we needed to do to grow. Then we were able to get together and have a conversation where there was some fighting and apologizing and agreeing and disagreeing, but we were on the same page.”

The meeting worked. In a time when rock bands rarely sell records, let alone make comebacks, Fall Out Boy returned in 2013 with the No. 1 single My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light ‘Em Up) and, last year, an even bigger hit, Uma Thurman. (Their latest video, for Irresistible, is an ‘NSync spoof starring members of the defunct hit boy band as well as pop star Demi Lovato, who adds backing vocals.)

“I thought we might get together and have a fan base we’d perform in front of,” Trohman says. “There was a bit of rolling the dice … ‘What are we going to do? Is it going to work?’ Just kind of hope for the best. It actually turned out 1,000 times better.” – Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service/Steve Knopper

Cameron Boyce kept referring to himself as a “regular kid” throughout our 15-minute phone interview from Los Angeles, California. But how many regular 16-year-old teenagers do you know is the star of Disney Channel movie Descendants and TV series Jessie, as well as the voice of Jake in the award-winning Jake And The Never Land Pirates kids show?

Boyce, who has been acting since he was eight years old – he made his movie debut in Mirrors opposite Kiefer Sutherland – insisted that nothing has changed. He cited maintaining a close relationship with the same group of friends he had before the TV stuff happened as the reason he still feels like a normal, every day guy.

“My friends are very present in my life. I still have friends from dance class and school that I talk to on a regular basis. That’s my regular kid stuff. I always try to find the time for the things I love,” he said.

Audiences started paying attention to Boyce as the mischevious, wisecracking Luke Ross in Jessie. When the Disney Channel series concluded last year, Boyce upgraded to a leading role in the new show Gamer’s Guide To Pretty Much Everything. He shared that getting an offer for the role is a huge validation for him.

“It feels really good to know that my hard work is recognised and appreciated. I thought it was cool that they want me to stick around for another series. I also looked forward to playing a leadership role. Jessie was previously led by Debby Ryan (who played Jessie); I’ve learned so much from her so it was good to be able to use that knowledge for this new experience.”

In Gamer’s Guide To Pretty Much Everything – Boyce plays Connor, a professional video gamer who is forced to take a break due a nasty thumb injury. However, his sponsors started cutting ties with him, so Connor can’t continue to compete, and has to go back to school and be a student again. While there, he meets a group of friends (played by Murray Wyatt Rundus, Felix Avitia and Sophie Reynolds), with whom he forms a team and start to practice for the World Gaming Pro Championship.

Stars of Gamer’s Guide To Pretty Much Everything, a new show about a team of professional video game athletes. Photos: Disney XD

Boyce laughed when we asked if he is actually the grown-up version of Luke.

“There are some similarities! But Connor is a bit more mature while Luke is carefree and silly. Connor has a set of goals he wants to accomplish. He is dedicated to his craft as a professional gamer. I don’t know if Luke has any goals to accomplish apart from pranking people and causing mischief.”

In the show, there’s an aspect called the Gamer’s Vision where the characters imagine themselves as players in a video game to get through various everyday situations. It gets a little bit chaotic on the show because of the different quirky personalities.

“Connor’s job is to wrangle his teammates all together and get them to focus on one task. Which actually never happens because then the show will just be about people sitting around playing video games all day.”

Cameron Boyce is determined to prove himself as a serious actor. Photo: Disney

Growing up, Boyce enjoyed watching other Disney Channel shows like That’s So Raven and Hannah Montana. He said it means a lot to now be a part of Disney.

“It’s an iconic thing. Disney talents are put on a different class. They have also provided a lot of opportunities for me. I’ve been working for five to six years now. It’s been a heck of a ride. I’m very grateful to them.”

When the opportunity came for Boyce to prove himself as a serious actor, he didn’t hesitate. Boyce recently caused a stir online when he posted a photo of himself covered in bruises and burnt marks, which turned out to be just makeup for a character he’s playing on medical drama Code Black.

But it was a dramatically different image for a young actor who has made a name for himself as a Disney Channel star. A few websites described the image as “disturbing”. But Boyce has no problems sharing that image.

“People generally put Disney stars in a different category. We’re not exactly actors or comedians. There is a stereotype. I just want people to know that I’m an actor first, along with other Disney kids who will be breaking stereotypes as well. I’m willing to do gory stuff along with comedy and drama.”

He explained that sharing the photo was about showing his fans that kids on Disney Channel have the potential for bigger things.

“We’re pushing ourselves. We should be showing our fans and audience that we are versatile. For me, sharing that photo was about telling my fans that I’m going to be on Code Black.

“I was so excited about it because people get to see a different side of me and realise that I’m serious about being a respectful actor.”

At 64, legendary Hong Kong action star Sammo Hung is still a force to be reckoned with in the action genre. Effortlessly agile, swift and flexible despite an expansive girth and a huge frame, Hung continues to command loads of respect as a classy martial arts icon of Chinese action cinema.

Since he made his film debut in 1961, Hung has churned out more than 230 movies, from the hardcore martial arts films of the 1970s and the action comedies of the 1980s, to the kung fu epics of the 1990s and modern action cinema of the new millennium.

This year, Hung is also back in the director’s chair for the first time in 19 years since his 1997 releases – Jackie Chan’s Mr Nice Guy and Jet Li’s Once Upon A Time In China And America.

Hung’s latest action flick is The Bodyguard, in which he plays a retired bodyguard who has settled in a remote corner of the world at the border where China, Russia and North Korea meet.

He meets a young girl (Chen Pei Yan) whose life is threatened when her gambling-addict father (played by Andy Lau) gets into trouble with the local crime underworld. Things take a turn for the worse, when the girl and her father disappear, forcing the bodyguard to call on his skills to find and protect them.

Apart from being the star, Hung also slips back easily into the roles of the film director and action choreographer in The Bodyguard. As a veteran filmmaker whose grandfather (Hung Chung Ho) was a film director and grandmother (Chin Tsi Ang) was Chinese martial arts cinema’s first female action star, Hung says he does not find it too difficult to balance his workload.

“I started taking on multiple roles when I was 27, ranging from a mix of scriptwriting, directing, acting, and I have been doing them for the past 20 to 30 years. I took a 10-year break in between, and now I’m just picking up where I left off. I find that taking on multiple roles isn’t that difficult. Even more so while shooting a good film!” responded Hung, whose is best known for his award-winning action choreography in recent martial arts movies like Ip Man (2008) and Ip Man 2 (2010).

In a recent email interview, Hung describes the character he plays as “someone who was part of the special forces when he was younger”.

“Due to an unexpected turn of events, he was relocated to the outskirts upon retirement. Circumstances cause him to once again put his special forces skills into good use, while he struggles with everyday life as he begins to suffer from Alzheimer’s.

“Though my character used to be part of the special forces, I didn’t focus on the experience of being a soldier. I instead chose to focus on his life after leaving the military – from how he would act, to how he would think and how he would try to cope with Alzheimer’s. We might not be talking about his military days, but we want to understand how the man copes with his circumstances, and the path he chooses to follow instead,” said the veteran actor.

Hung is also the action director for 2016 releases such as Aaron Kwok’s The Monkey King 2 and Benny Chan’s The Deadly Reclaim.

Another reason that is making movie fans excited are the star-studded supporting roles by multiple generations of top names and distinguished heavyweights in Chinese cinema. Among those making special appearances are Hong Kong’s Andy Lau (who replaced Jackie Chan, who pulled out due to his son Jaycee Chan’s drug scandal), Tsui Hark, Karl Maka, Dean Shek, Taiwan’s Eddie Peng and Jack Kao, China’s Hu Jun, Feng Shaofeng and Song Jia, as well as Hung’s childhood friends from the 7 Little Fortunes such as Yuen Biao, Yuen Wah, Yuen Qiu, Yuen Ting, and Yuen Po.

How did his friends react when he invited them to be part of the film? “I don’t actually know what they say about me behind my back! I think they have a degree of confidence in my film. They probably didn’t expect that I would invite them to be part of the film, and I’m very thankful to have such great friends that they showed up without hesitation. Shooting a film surrounded by good friends is a joy, and doesn’t come by often enough,” said Hung.

The actor has found much success overseas over the years, most recently executive producing and starring in the British stage musical Last Night A DJ Saved My Life, which ran through February. But now he wants to come home.

“I’ve been over there too long,” said the man best known in the US, perhaps, for his turns on the TV series Baywatch and Knight Rider.

“I’m happy to go where the sun is shining or the snow is falling, but I’ve had it with the rain over in Britain,” he said in an interview, after taking part in a session for the new Baywatch movie slated to debut in 2017.

Hasselhoff could be primed for an American revival, of sorts. The six-episode first season of his British “mockumentary” series Hoff The Record is slated to debut on a cable network on March 31. The series stars the man recognised by many as Mitch Buchannon moving overseas to get his career back on track, while navigating some surreal obstacles.

Hasseloff takes it all in stride, but believes US audiences will enjoy the new series. Cable network AXS “plays mostly music, and all of a sudden, here’s something that is a quirky comedy, but the comedy is kind of rock and roll,” he says, exuding the confidence of, say, a Michael Knight at the end of an hour of Knight Rider when the plot has been resolved and he and KITT, the super car, emerge victorious.

“We will see what happens,” he said of the new programme. “I’m hopeful it works, because if it doesn’t work, I’m going to be down at Variety working in marketing,” he joked.

Hasselhoff has other projects to juggle. He recently was part of a promotion of NBCUniversal’s Cozi TV digital-cable offering that featured Hoff-A-Minute news reports on his comings and goings as part of a marathon of Knight Rider episodes. His daughter, Taylor-Ann Hasselhoff, anchored the segments.

The actor has a role in Sharknado 4, the latest monster spoof from NBCU’s Syfy cable network. And, of course, there’s the new iteration of Baywatch. Hasselhoff praised Dwayne Johnson, who has taken over the role of Mitch Buchannon in the remake. “He’s a hell of a nice guy,” he said.

Would Hasselhoff want to lead another Baywatch crew? “I feel like I’ve moved on to other things,” Hasselhoff said.

He hopes one of those things will be a new Knight Rider project. The idea has for several years been rumoured to be gestating at the Weinstein Company, and Hasselhoff wishes executives there would pick his brain.

“I see it as more of a continuation of the TV series, and they can add new characters or whatever, but they should basically keep the same feeling of the show. There are so many people out there that will absolutely freak out and love it,” he explained.

“It would be Michael Knight kind of coming out of retirement with his son and having adventures around the world, and doing a Fast And Furious with the Knight Rider car. How cool does that sound? How cool could it be?”

The Nia Vardalos family comedy My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 has a lot to live up to as the film sequel to 2002’s breakout comedy hit, with Toula and Ian trying to rejuvenate their marriage, while letting their college-bound daughter find her own way and dealing with an ever-present extended Greek family.

Find out who’s new and who’s returning to the film, who’s behind it, and whether it’s any good.

Who’s in it

Vardalos returns as Toula, along with most of the original cast from 2002’s breakout comedy hit My Big Fat Greek Wedding, such as John Corbett (Sex And The City) as husband Ian Miller, Vardalos’ real-life husband Ian Gomez as Miller’s best buddy Mike, and N’SYNC alumnus Joey Fantone as her cousin Angelo.

Among those new on the scene are Elena Kampouris of American Odyssey and Jason Reitman’s Men, Women And Children as Toula’s teenage daughter Paris, Alex Wolff of The Naked Brothers Band and In Treatment as Bennett, and John Stamos, as well as Rita Wilson.

Who wrote it

Vardalos is to thank for the sequel’s screenplay, having already written and starred in the first movie. She’s supported by the same producers from the first film, and rather well known ones at that.

Though Gary Goetzman might not be as well known as his business partner, he set up the Playtone production company with two-time Academy Award winner Tom Hanks.

Reuniting with them for this second film is Hanks’ wife, Rita Wilson, who also has a significant supporting role as a member of its cast (above).

There’s a change behind the camera, though, with Kirk Jones, whose previous film was another family comedy in What To Expect When You’re Expecting.

Is it any good

Early reviews for My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 suggest that it will have a little trouble living up to the high standards set by its theatrical predecessor, according to scorecards collected by Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes; fans of the TV series, however, shouldn’t be too disappointed by the continuing adventures of the Portokalos family. – AFP Relaxnews

Hong Kong singer Karen Mok’s husband may have applied to be a private chef on her ongoing tour, but he is unlikely to get hired.

Her finance executive husband, Johannes Natterer, will not make the cut because he is inclined to whip up fattening meals for her.

In an interview with Singapore media ahead of her show in the island republic on April 9, Mok, 45, says: “He’s really good at pasta. He thinks I’m too skinny and I should put on more weight. He will add fattening ingredients such as cream into his dishes on purpose.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea to have him as my chef on the tour. I will get fat.”

Her German-born husband, also 45, will instead be helping out with logistics when the concert tour makes it to Europe.

The Regardez World Tour started in Taipei, Taiwan last year and Mok will be holding a show in Singapore after 15 years.

Her attention to detail is also seen in her doubling as concert director, spanning all areas, from costume design to lighting.

“I’ve been a concert director ever since I started doing concerts. I’ve always designed my own shows and created them from nothing,” she says.

“It’s really satisfying how ideas born from my imagination become reality.”

She was inspired to recreate the spectacular Northern Lights astronomical phenomenon at her show with 1,000 laser beams after seeing it in Iceland with her husband two years ago.

Recounting the trip with glee, she says: “We went to Iceland. We were there for three nights and one night had perfect conditions and we saw the Northern Lights. It’s really magical, especially if you are there with someone you love.

“It’s something that a lot of people have on their bucket list, but not everyone gets that sort of chance.

“I know of a lot of friends who travel all the way there but, because of bad weather, they didn’t manage to see the Northern Lights. So I thought, ‘What if I can bring the lights to my show?’ ” – The Straits Times, Singapore/Asia News Network/Gwendolyn Ng

Be a “music detective” on Suria FM and stand a chance to win cash prizes worth nearly RM40,000.

Tune into Ceria Pagi with Adibah Noor and Baki Zainal (weekdays, 5am to 10am), Ceria Suria with Brian Chen (10am to 1pm), Rock & Relaks Suria with Bob Ringgo (1pm to 4pm) and Ceria Petang with Linda Onn (4pm to 8pm) and keep an ear out for the Detektif Muzik cue to call.

The first listener to call 03-7724 2115 will be given a mission. A sound clip will be played and listeners will only have 10 seconds to guess the title of the song and the name of the artist. But there’s a twist: the sound clip features a Malay song but its lyrics has been translated into English and the melody has been altered.

Complete the mission successfully and the successful listener will win RM250 in cash and exclusive products from Dara Anggun worth RM100. If unsuccessful, the money will snowball to the next segment.

There’s also a bonus hour where you stand a chance to win additional cash worth nearly RM1000.

You can also get clues to help with your guesses on Suria FM’s Instagram account @SuriaFMMalaysia every morning. For more information, visit www.suriafm.com.my.

For his next venture, actor-director-producer Pekin Ibrahim is looking at producing a documentary feature. Come mid-April, Pekin and the crew of his production house KL Media House are going to Sabah to film Madness Of Borneo under the direction of Raja Mukhriz.

What is remarkable about this project is that Pekin plans it for consumption on the big screen.

“Whenever a local documentary is made, it’s for the purpose of showcasing it on TV. That’s the usual aim of a documentary. But I want to present what our beautiful country has to offer on the big screen,” said Pekin.

“With this medium, the audio and the visual of what we are presenting will be amplified.”

This also explains why director Mukhriz is ideal for the job. Before helming the 2014 film Ophilia, Mukhriz worked as a cinematographer on various local films since 2007.

“We went to Sabah for two months (to recce) and we’ve come up with a content that I feel is unique. There are more than 30 indigenous groups that we are not familiar with; we will be focusing on one of them.

“For a change, we are offering a documentary on Sabah that’s not just about orangutan and Mount Kinabalu,” elaborated the actor who was nominated in the Malaysia Film Festival for his performance in the 2012 film Bunohan.

Pekin added that Madness Of Borneo – which will be filmed over a period of 60 days – received funding from National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (Finas).

“I sent in a proposal to Finas and, thankfully, received full support from them.”

Pekin hopes to show the documentary in cinema sometime next year. “I target to bring it overseas and enter it for competitions.” He believes that once the documentary feature gets recognition in Malaysia, it will encourage more filmmakers to look into the genre.

The actor who can currently be seen in the box office success Munafik, said he is slotted to star in Syamsul Yusof’s next film titled Tailong. “But I am not sure when that one starts filming yet.”

Pekin also made his directorial debut with Mat Moto which was released in January this year; the movie earned a respectable RM4.3mil.

It’s never too early for Oscar talk because – God willing, anyway – quality work is there to be discussed year-round. So while the 88th Academy Awards may still be fresh in our minds, and 2016 itself barely more than two months old, there’s already a performance hitting screens that deserves earmarking for year-end kudos.

But first, a question …

How has an Oscar nomination eluded John Goodman for this long? Arguments could have been made for any number of Coen brothers films over the years (Barton Fink, The Big Lebowski, Inside Llewyn Davis), and he’s been in the mix with other players like Argo and Flight as of late. The 63-year-old Emmy and Golden Globe winner was a highlight of the Screen Actors Guild-nominated Trumbo cast last year as well.

Basically, the “it’s time” narrative is there for the taking. But that kind of thing generally conforms to traditional awards movie territory; just look at the circuit Leonardo DiCaprio recently completed. All the sweeter it would be, then, for Goodman to finally net Oscar recognition for a little genre film completely outside the Academy’s wheelhouse. Because that’s what his performance in Dan Trachtenberg’s 10 Cloverfield Lane is. It’s Oscar-worthy.

John Goodman in a scene from 10 Cloverfield Lane. Photo: Paramount Pictures

I hesitate to say too much about Goodman’s character or, certainly, the film’s plot – the mystery box is working overtime here – but his performance is impressive for its complexity. Working from a script that ebbs and flows with ease and tension, the actor’s work is like a waltz, gliding on the narrative’s rhythms, commanding acute attention every moment he’s on screen. It’s a clinic, really, a performance as compelling in its quieter moments as it is in its explosive ones. I wouldn’t flinch if someone called it Goodman’s best work.

(By the way, the film features tight ensemble work, with Mary Elizabeth Winstead and John Gallagher Jr contributing plenty to the mixture. But Goodman really just owns this movie.)

Just like Jeff Nichols’ Midnight Special and Jeremy Saulnier’s Green Room, 10 Cloverfield Lane is an economic thriller grounded by real-world specificity. It’s that approach that makes performances like Goodman’s – and Michael Shannon’s, and Anton Yelchin’s – really sing. They deserve a seat at the Oscar table along with the biopics and the festival darlings and the “prestige” players.

So cringe at stirring the awards pot a year in advance if you must, but it’s good to plant an early flag. These movies depend on the drumbeat, and sometimes – as we saw with Ex Machina last year – it can carry them through. After all, the year is just going to push on, and eventually we’ll enter the awards season, where films from Ang Lee, Martin Scorsese, Nate Parker, Clint Eastwood and more will predictably dominate the discussion.

US company Cartoon Network Studios will unveil a new series later this year that is going to be animated right here in Malaysia.

Christina Miller, president and general manager of Cartoon Network, Boomerang and Adult Swim, was in Kuala Lumpur last month to explore possible partnerships with local animation studios – specifically on the production of this upcoming new series to be aired globally across Cartoon Network.

Miller informed that the network is constantly looking for talent and exploring to make investments in creativity and animation on a global scale.

“Malaysia is one of those places,” said Miller. “We’re attracted to talent, quite frankly. When someone is investing and trying to grow that business of animation and animators, we want to be part of that and help grow it.

“Traditionally, we have done that and it has benefited both the local market and our content. It’s a lot of credit to the dedication Malaysia has to the industry right now and us wanting to be part of that.”

We Bare Bears follows the adventures of three bear brothers.

Word has it the upcoming series is titled Mighty Magiswords, created by Kyle Corrozza. It revolves around a brother and sister who are warriors for hire. The siblings have magical swords and will feature their out-of-this-world adventures.

While this is the first time a Malaysian animation studio is going to work on a show for worldwide consumption, it is not the first time local companies have been employed by Cartoon Network’s arm in Asia.

Previous partnerships with this regional division has resulted in the animated series Roll No. 21 (by Animasi Studio) and telemovie Johnny Bravo Goes To Bollywood (co-produced by Inspidea), both of which were aired on Cartoon Network in India.

The animation for Cha-Ching: Earn, Save, Spend, Donate, the popular online music videos which teaches young audience all about money, was also done by Inspidea.

“Cartoon Network has been in the region for a long time,” said Gregory Ho, vice president of Corporate Communications and Marketing Asia Pacific for Turner International Asia Pacific. “We’re very familiar with Malaysia and the benefits we have working here, and the talents that we have. We are really really proud of that.”

One thing that Cartoon Network also takes pride in is in wanting to create a world instead of just crafting a show.

“It’s really about reaching our audience in all the ways they consume content,” Miller said. “… and by that I mean mobile game, shorts, linear- and long-form content. These are ways to interact with audience on an on-going basis.”

The Powerpuff Girls are back!

According to Miller, Cartoon Network’s commitment to growing talents in the animation community goes hand-in-hand with the fact that the channel currently has the greatest level of output where original content is concerned.

“We have more shows than ever before that are really successful. Whether it’s Adventure Time, The Powerpuff Girls, We Bare Bears – all these shows are in production.

“As we compound how many shows are in production, it offers opportunity to look to new places for inspiration and production capability. We are planning for success. As long as that’s the path, there is more opportunity than ever before.”

Miller attested that to make the international relationship work – whereby the creator in Burbank, California, storyboards the content while the production studio in Malaysia does the animation – there has to be a two-way communication and participation.

“The fact that we develop content more globally than ever before in different studios, it gives us a tone and a voice that is a little bit more inclusive. And I hope that the relationship that we built will influence the content and the story going forward because it’s a really strong partnership.”

The two-way street also applies to the fondness Cartoon Network has for Malaysia and how much Malaysian audiences love the channel right back.

“The great thing about Malaysia is, in 2015, we ended as No. 1. It’s good to know (our series) resonate here. One of the great things about Cartoon Network and its content is, it’s often more similarites than differences with kids, and it gets proven over and over again when we see our content travel and be well received.

“It also gives us an opportunity for us to work with the local office to see what are the contents being created and what we can learn from that content.”

Amid juggling a stock market crisis and Chinese hackers, President Selina Meyer is striving to “look presidential” in the first full trailer for season five of HBO’s Emmy-winning political comedy Veep.

From the looks of it, S5 picks up where the S4 finale cliffhanger left off: A shocking tied election between President Meyer (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and Senator Bill O’Brien (Brad Leland).

The clip also previews the president and her personal aide Gary Walsh (Tony Hale) channeling their faith, an Olympic kayaker photo-op gone wrong and a steamy hook-up between the president and Mad Men‘s John Slattery.

“I’m just saying I’m not that kind of a president,” Louis-Dreyfus explains to Slattery in the clip, right before asking him where her shoes are post hook-up.

The trailer also confirms that the president’s core staff is as incompetent as ever, struggling to respond to a tied election.

“If we don’t put a plan into action tomorrow morning, by Monday we will be grease. The country, not the musical,” announces President Meyer’s running mate Tom James (Hugh Laurie).

Though Veep creator Armando Iannucci departed the show after season four, the showrunner reins have been handed off to Curb Your Enthusiasm‘s David Mandel.

Former Friends star Matthew Perry has landed the role of Ted Kennedy – the youngest brother of the former president of the United States, John F. Kennedy – in the follow-up to the miniseries based on the famous American family, US cable network ReelzChannel has announced.

A year and a half after confirming the return of Katie Holmes as Jackie Kennedy for The Kennedys After Camelot, Perry has now been added to the cast. The actor, who famously played Chandler Bing in Friends, is set to star as Ted, the youngest brother of the Kennedy family. Ted served as a Massachusetts senator from 1962 – succeeding his brother John when he was named to the White House – until his death in 2009.

Again based on the books of biographer J. Randy Taraborrelli, the miniseries will continue its exploration of the trials and tribulations of the Kennedy family from 1968 to the present day. The four new episodes will chart their joys and triumphs, their sorrows and tragedies, while also addressing the American public’s fascination with the family.

The storyline will focus on the complicated public and private lives of Ted Kennedy, striving to live up to his family’s political ambitions after the assassination of his brothers John in 1963 and Robert in 1968. His close and sometimes ambiguous relationship with his former sister-in-law, Jackie Kennedy, will also be touched upon in the four new episodes.

Katie Holmes will be stepping back into the shoes of the former US first lady five years after the first instalment aired. This follow-up miniseries will also see the one-time Dawson’s Creek star try her hand behind the camera, as she’s lined up to direct one of the episodes. The other three will be left to Jon Cassar (24), who directed the first series.

The Kennedys After Camelot will start filming in the spring in Toronto, Canada, and is scheduled to air early 2017 on ReelzChannel. – AFP Relaxnews

Vikings is set to run for a fifth season, which will see Welsh actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers joining the cast. The 20-episode new season will debut in 2017 on the History channel, Deadline reports.

The show, which has been a runaway success for History, explores the lives and adventures of the raiders and explorers of the Dark Ages. Although no details of Meyers’ role have been released, the introduction of the The Tudors actor into the script will help to compensate for the departure of Clive Standen at the end of S4.

The official song to represent Wales at the Euro 2016 football tournament has been recorded by Manic Street Preachers, reports NME.

The group made the announcement earlier this week on its Twitter account.

“It’s with great pride we can announce the Manics are providing the official Wales Euro 2016 song – Together Stronger (C’mon Wales),” the band tweeted.

Manic Street Preachers hopes that its new anthem will rally the team and fans together ahead of the competition in France this summer. Wales will be playing for the first time at the Euro championships, with its first match against England.

All of the profits from the new recording will go to the Princes Gate Trust and Tenovus Cancer Care. The song will be available on May 20. – AFP Relaxnews

It’s with great pride we can announce the Manics are providing the official Wales Euro 2016 song – ‘Together Stronger (C’mon Wales)’.

Two of the biggest Mandopop stars from the 1990s, Dave Wang Jie and Winnie Hsin Xiao Chi, will be coming to Genting Highlands to perform for charity.

The Dave Wang & Winnie Hsin Charity Concert Live in Genting 2016 will be held on May 7, 8.30pm, at the Arena Of Stars, Genting Highlands.

Nicknamed the “King of Melancholy”, Wang is best known for his love ballads like Yi Chang You Xi Yi Chang Meng, Gu Xin, and Xin Tong. He has sold more than 87 million records, and recently made a comeback with the successful “King’s Return” Tour in China.

Hsin, who made her debut in 1986, is an equally popular singer in the 1990s, with hits such as Ling Wu, Wei Dao, and a duet with Leslie Cheung called Shen Qing Xiang Yong.

Presented by the Qu Yang Group of Companies and organised by IME Productions, all proceeds from the concert will go to charity organisations such as the Xi Le Er Special Children Care Centre Malaysia and the Qu Yang Group of Companies Scholarship

It has been too long since Taiwanese singer Terry Lin Chih Hsuan last performed in Malaysia. Known for having one of the most beautiful voices in Taiwan, the 49-year-old from Keelung was last here to promote his album in 2002.

However, his Malaysian fans have been keeping up by watching his outstanding performances on Wo Shi Ge Shou, the very popular Chinese version of a Korean reality show titled I Am A Singer. Lin emerged as the first runner-up in the first season of the Chinese reality show in 2013. This was also the show that gave Malaysian singer Shila Amzah her big break when she became second runner up in the second season of the show.

In a recent phone interview from Taipei, Lin hoped to spring a few surprises during his upcoming Terry Lin One Take World Tour Live In Genting.

“Apart from songs from my One Take album (2010), I will be singing in one take, within the space of two hours, all the songs that I sang during the nine weeks of the I Am A Singer competition. That is one of the reasons why we call it the One Take show,” he said, while hinting at surprises in terms of musical arrangements.

This means that Mandopop lovers can expect fan favourites like the Mandarin version of Eason Chan’s Exaggerated, Jay Chou’s Fade Away, Chyi Chin’s Night After Night After Night After Night, Air Supply’s Making Love Out Of Nothing At All, Tsai Chin’s The Spirit Of Your Eyes, and Never Left (the Chinese version of Celine Dion’s I Surrender).

Although he enjoyed his stint on the reality show, Lin says he is not likely to take part in other long-running series any time soon as he prefers to focus on preparations for his concert tour, which has already played in Shanghai and Beijing. “I may consider commercial shows that are interesting, but I hope to commit my full effort to the concert tour,” said the singer, who was also part of popular Mandopop duo Ukelele in the 90s.

Unlike other artistes who have to slim down for their shows, Lin has to embark on a weight gain programme.

“This time, I’m working out and specifically targetting my weight problem. My exercise plan includes jogging and spending lots of time on the treadmill to boost my stamina so I can perform at my best throughout the show.

“The result has been extremely encouraging. I have actually put on 1kg already. I still need to work on it though. I’ve been told to put on more weight so I’ll look better in costumes.”

On the subject of guest performers, Lin says he prefers to lend his support to newcomers with potential to shine, so he has invited Malaysian singer Jess Lee (winner of the seventh season of Taiwan’s One Million Star reality show) for the concert in Genting. “I will be singing a duet with her. She will also have a solo segment,” he said, adding that since Malaysia is a multiracial country, he is also considering inviting artistes who sing in other languages.

Organised by Resort World Genting, The Terry Lin One Take World Tour Live In Genting will be held at the Arena Of Stars, Resorts World Genting on May 14 at 8.30pm. Tickets are priced between RM168 and RM948. For reservations, call Resorts World Genting (03-2718 1118).

CBS has found its modern-day MacGyver in X-Men star Lucas Till, Variety has confirmed.

Till will take on the title character first made famous by Richard Dean Anderson in the network’s pilot reboot of the 1980’s television series.

The MacGyver pilot is described as a reimagining of the original show, following Till’s 20-something MacGyver as he gets recruited into a clandestine organisation where he uses his knack for solving problems in unconventional ways to help prevent disasters from happening.

Richard Dean Anderson starred in the original MacGyver TV series.

Also newly cast as a series regular in the pilot is Joshua Boone, who will play Gunner, MacGyver’s best friend from high school. The duo joins previously announced CSI: Crime Scene Investigation alum George Eads, who will play Lincoln, a man who could easily be written off as an eccentric conspiracy theorist, but he’s a legit government employee with great capability for compassion.

Till nabbing the titular role marks the end of a lengthy casting search for the show’s new star. Sources say that many different names had been discussed for the part, including diverse actors.

MacGyver hails from writer Paul Downs Colaizzo who will executive produce with Michael Clear, Lee Zlotoff, James Wan and original producer Henry Winkler who is back for the remake. David Von Ancken will direct the pilot and will also serve as an exec producer. CBS Television Studios is producing.

Up next, Till will return as the mutant Havok in X-Men Apocalypse, which is out this May. – Reuters/Elizabeth Wagmeister

It’s a sly, sexy smile, but it’s a definite, tooth-baring grin – one viewers rarely got to see through her four seasons as the grim homicide detective Sarah Linden on The Killing. On the sleek set of ABC’s new cat-and-mouse thriller The Catch, Enos shed that dour demeanor, along with those wool sweaters and down parkas, in favour of the far more provocative persona of private investigator Alice Vaughan.

“I never get asked to play the beautiful heroine,” says Enos with a laugh.

Clad in figure-flattering clothes and tapered heels, Enos’ character in The Catch is in pursuit of an elusive con man, Ben (Peter Krause) – who just happens to be her ex-fiance.

But it’s been a bit of a uphill climb to get to this stylish caper to the small screen. After the pilot was picked up in January 2015, the show went through a change of showrunners, a recasting of the lead actor (he was initially played by Damon Dayoub), and ultimately a reshoot of the entire pilot.

But given that this drama hails from Shondaland, the odds may be stacked in its favour. “I don’t think there’s ever been a pilot that we haven’t reshot,” says producer Shonda Rhimes.

The Catch began as an idea from British novelist Kate Atkinson (Behind The Scenes At The Museum, Case Histories) and her producing partner, Helen Gregory, about a fraud investigator who gets conned. Producer Julie Anne Robinson brought it to Shondaland, which gave it to Jennifer Schuur (Hannibal) to develop into a pilot.

Enos, long a favourite of Rhimes and Betsy Beers (Rhimes’ producing partner), was quickly cast. “She immediately got the essence of a character who’s hiding in plain sight, what happens when someone close to you betrays you,” says Beers. As a bonus, the producers later discovered the actress knows martial arts and has impressive skills as a stuntwoman.

“She can run in heels like nobody’s business,” Beers adds.

Enos and Peter Krause in a scene from The Catch. Photo: ABC

But once the pilot was filmed, things started to unravel. Dayoub’s role was recast in May, along with that of another actress, Bethany Joy Lenz. Krause landed the male lead in July. By August, Schuur would be gone, too, with reports citing “creative differences”. But Rhimes doesn’t see it that way. “Making a pilot and making a series are two very different things,” she says.

The show was stuck; the network wouldn’t approve an episode-two script, and production was shut down. It was the casting of Krause – whom Rhimes says she’s “a little bit obsessed with” – that set the reboot in motion.

“It did require reshaping not just the pilot but the series itself,” says Rhimes. “Because once you have Peter Krause, you’ve got to write for him. It allowed for Mireille to have a more formidable foil. And it allowed for richer storytelling.”

Rhimes turned to a veteran of Team Shondaland: Allan Heinberg, who’d been working on Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal. It helped, too, that he’d had his own experience with fraud – he’d been in a 10-year relationship with someone who’d betrayed him, a story he’d shared in the writers’ room. “This was a perfect opportunity to get him to stand up,” Rhimes says.

Rhimes presented Heinberg with the opportunity to reinvent the show, but there were limitations. Says the writer: “She was essentially saying, ‘Can you come up with an entirely new show with the same premise, the same actors, the same set and the same costumes, but everything else is entirely new?’.”

So he said no. Politely.

But he was about to take a long flight back to Los Angeles from London, so his friend Pete Nowalk, creator/showrunner of How To Get Away With Murder, advised him to spend those hours thinking about it.

By the time he’d landed, he’d come up with a plan.

His idea was such a revolution, though, that he didn’t believe she’d buy it. “I thought, this is going to be too expensive and too drastic,” he says. “They’re never going to let me do this in a million years.” Think again.

Heinberg shifted the tone of the series, from a dark, Hitchcockian thriller to a far more playful romp – The Thomas Crown Affair meets Ocean’s Eleven – and reinvented roles for the entire cast.

He turned Alice into a high-end private investigator, and Ben from a petty criminal into a James Bond-like con man with ties to criminal syndicates all over the world. “It’s not a dark, brooding thriller about corrupt people,” he says. “It’s this oddly fun confection with a really different energy. I think (ABC) responded to that.”

Enos admits the reboot gave her pause. “It took me a couple of reads of the new version to understand the gift I had been handed,” she says. “Even when I went to take the meeting with Allan when he was pitching me the new pilot, we were almost halfway through reading it when I said: ‘Wait. How much of the pilot are we reshooting?’.”

Krause says he understood that the show needed to be revamped. “Coming into it, I felt like, this can’t be an exploration of a psychopath and a woman who falls for him,” he says. “I think he built a more compelling storytelling machine.”

Heinberg knows he has a high standard to live up to. “Shonda gets bored very easily, which is both a blessing and a curse,” he says. “She treats her viewers with a lot of respect. I feel like we have very intelligent viewers, but they also watch a lot of TV – a lot of Shondaland TV – and those shows move very quickly. They don’t spoon-feed you.” – Reuters/ DEBRA BIRNBAUM